This and That
by brianajs
Summary: What! Tuxedo Mask has six of the rainbow crystals? What now? Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

This and That

by bluephoenixj

"I will have the Silver Imperium Crystal."

Serena blinked at her reflection in her bedroom window pondering the words she had heard earlier that evening. The sky was nearly pitch black and the only light in sight was that of the crescent moon and the bunny shaped alarm clock on her bed stand. Luna sat beside her on her bed comforter staring outside.

"Explain to me again how Tuxedo Mask ended up with six of the rainbow crystals," Luna commanded in a voice less than pleased. Serena let out an exasperated sigh, more for herself than the black feline.

"Tuxedo Mask was battling Zoycite and she was winning. Then, I saw her about to send an attack at him while he was unaware, so I tackled her and all the rainbow crystals fell out her pocket. But somehow Tuxedo Mask reached them before I could and darted off. It took Zoycite a while to realize what had happened before she disappeared," she said weakly, full of distraction. Worse than thinking of their loss was considering that Tuxedo Mask was the new enemy. He was the only one holding the rainbow crystals; the only threat to their mission.

Serena sighed again. As much as Luna wanted to scold her for losing the crystals to Tuxedo Mask, a small part the cat prevented her from saying anything. She knew what Serena was poring over. They both knew though, that before long, she'd have to overcome her feelings and let her mission lead her. Even if what she was feeling was betrayal.

"Luna, what's next?" Serena asked. She snuggled up to a teddy bear she received as a toddler and continued looking at the stars. Luna, unprepared for the question, found it difficult to tell her the hard truth.

"We'll have to prevent him from getting the final crystal," she said, choosing her words carefully. But Serena pushed.

"And then?" she asked, fully aware of the response she was about to get. Luna sighed sadly.

"Then, we'll likely have to fight him for the other six."

"Do you think this'll really help us find the rainbow crystal carrier," Serena asked doubtfully. Raye glared at her angrily.

"It's the only thing we have to go on!" she yelled in annoyance. Serena dragged her feet.

"Can we please just save walking around the city for another day? I'm so tired," she whined.

"No!" Raye said simply," Or do you _want_ Tuxedo Mask to end up with all the crystals." Serena was caught off guard and simply closed her previously wide open mouth.

"Come on," Raye ordered. Serena whimpered before jogging to catch up with the fiery priestess. She gripped the pink and gold wand in her hand like a lifeline.

"Well, could we at least stop and get a bite to eat," she said suddenly stopping. To their left loomed the arcade with a sign advertising a new flavor of donut. Reluctantly, Raye halted a few feet ahead of her, then turned around.

"Coconut and chocolate?" Raye said aloud, not attempting to hide her disgust. She stuck her tongue out and shivered for added emphasis. Meanwhile, Serena bent over the sign with a toothy grin.

"With chocolate you can never go wrong," she drawled, already placing her wand into her school pack. Raye resignedly stomped through the arcade doors ahead of Serena.

"Fifteen minutes," she commanded before the doors met behind her. In a few seconds, Serena, too, was inside the arcade. With a few quick strides, the pair sat across from Andrew on stools. Raye looked agitated as she scanned the menu while Serena licked her lips at the donut placed before her.

"Thank you, Andrew," she said giddily half-aware of his presence as she lifted the donut in the fashion of a burger. Andrew nodded towards her while he cleaned a glass with a dish rag.

"No problem, Serena. Did you want to try one, Raye?" Andrew asked politely. He paused his cleaning to await a response as Raye pondered the offer. She looked at Serena who bit happily into the donut causing Raye to gag.

With coconut glued to her mouth by underlying chocolate Serena added," It's delicious!"

"Uh, no I'll pass," Raye said refusing to watch the blonde," I had a bad run in with coconut chocolate last Valentine's day." She recalled the time Chad had attempted to give her homemade candy and left her sick in bed for days. She could barely fight off the monster that hit two days later.

Andrew winced," Well, let me know if there's something else u want. When she merely nodded, he walked away to attend to a family with a noisy four-year old son. Meanwhile Serena continued munching greedily.

"Oh, Raye! You don't know what you're missing out on!" Serena said almost sympathetically. Then, a deep, obnoxious voice behind her caused her smile to fade. Darien.

"Serena, not everyone wants to end up like a blimp like you. Some people actually eat healthy," he chided. Raye smiled adoringly at the ebony haired college student. On the contrary, Serena kept her focus on the donut and forced the last piece into her mouth. When she had finished, she plastered a smile on her face and turned to face Darien, also.

"What would a cold, cruel jerk like you know about the simple pleasures in life?" she said lightly with a huff. He continued eyeing her broodingly as he had since he had entered the arcade.

"Well, actually I do, Meatball Head. Every day I smile thinking that I'm not pigging out on a hundred pounds worth of sweets like you." Raye watched the two tiredly. She _would not_ spend her day hearing Darien and Serena argue, especially when there was scout business to be handled. When Serena opened her mouth to retort, Raye placed a firm hand on her shoulder. Serena closed her mouth and looked back at her friend slightly startled. She had already forgotten her friend sat beside her.

"Serena, can we go now. You know, for our mission," Raye said in a low, but firm voice. Darien cocked an eyebrow. Serena looked nervously at Darien, finally deciding not to fight a losing battle on both ends.

"Alright, let's go," she said hopping of her stool," Looks like I have better things to do, Darien." The pair soon stood outside again, looking in opposite directions on the street. Raye looked up towards the residential area, while Serena looked towards the mall. Finally, Raye could be seen scolding Serena and pulling her up the street.

Darien still stood in his previous position pondering what Raye had said. Mission.

With that, he turned on his heels and walked down the street in the direction Serena had indicated. When he looked up he saw a familiar sign, the Osa-P jewelry store.

Raye stood at the top of a hill in the residential district leaning against a pole. Her face was calm with only a few beads of sweat daring to graze her brow. She refused to show any sign of weakness, not only for her pride, but as an unspoken insult to the blonde fifty meters behind her. Serena walked up the hill at a snail's pace like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

"Just…twenty…more….feet….," she sighed heavily. After five minutes passed, she reached her friend, who had by that time, fully conquered her breathing rate.

"What took you so long, Meatball Brain?" Raye asked scornfully.

"I'm not cut out for this," Serena said drained of her usual whininess. Raye cocked an eyebrow then turned to look at her devilishly.

"Well, then, why don't you just give up the wand and let me take over. I can do all the searching by myself and find the crystal," she said haughtily. Serena straightened up defiantly in response. She clutched the pink and golden wand to her chest.

"Oh, no you don't. You're not getting all the glory," Serena marched heatedly past Raye and began muttering to herself, "I'm gonna find that crystal and show you all what a great leader I am!"

Raye grinned to herself, unfolded her arms and started to catch up to the continuously fuming blonde.

"I knew that would get her going," Raye said under her breath.

They walked from apartment building to apartment building. House to house. Every tree house and dog house. No dice.

By then, Serena had forgotten her earlier conviction and again began to drag her feet. She needed to sit down, and fast.

"Hey! How about—we check in that cemetery over there!" Serena suggested. She pretended to genuinely suspect the crystal's location, but discreetly eyed the bench in the middle of the area.

"Yeah, right, Serena!" Raye growled, "As if the crystal is planted in some fifty year old grave!" Raye couldn't put her finger on it, but there had to be a catch.

"Oh, buckle down, Raye! We have to check every area possible. Remember last week; the crystal was in a cat and that means they can be hidden anywhere," Serena said with slightly skewed logic. She hoped Raye wouldn't realize that the likelihood of a past Negaverse fiend dying with the crystal still inside them was slim to none.

Serena waited for Raye's response; the priestess had placed her index finger on her temple and closed her eyes in contemplation. There was no way it could be here, but Serena did have a point. Reluctantly she agreed and the pair walked into the graveyard.

To Serena is seemed to take hours for them to walk halfway across the cemetery. Once, Raye had to push Serena away for invading her bubble; the ditz had been inching towards her each step they took! It was as if she was afraid of ghosts or something…

While Raye scanned the area around them, Serena stealthily walked towards the bench hoping to finally sit down. Just before she could sit, Raye looked at her.

"Is the wand reacting at all?" Raye asked doubtfully. She looked around the grounds for any sign of life. The only others there were two figures too far away to name.

"No," Serena had begun to reply until something caught her sight. She looked down at the wand and noticed a warm red light pulsating from the handle.

"The last crystal's here!" Serena instantly looked down and around her. It couldn't be in one of those graves!

"D-d-do y-you t-t-t-t-think we'll have to dig it up?" Serena asked like a four year old. Raye walked up to her clueless friend and clutched her arm, turning her towards the figures ahead.

"As much as I'd love to watch you try to find the crystal in one of those graves, I _think_ it's one of them," Raye informed her, indicating the men ahead. Serena relaxed under Raye's grip, "Okay. What's our plan of action? We've never done this before without a general finding it first."

Raye drooped like a tired dog. If only fate had distributed common sense to those who truly needed it,… but like government funding, the worse off ended up neglected.

"Well, first we contact the other scouts in case we need back-up. While we wait for them, we get close enough to figure out which one actually has the crystal. Then, we can try to take it by simply using the wand. Most importantly, once we get it, we make sure that darn Tuxedo Mask doesn't get to it first, okay?" Raye said like a girl-scout troop leader.

"Okay," Serena said while pulling her communicator out of her pocket. After pressing a button, the other two scout's faces appeared on the tiny screen.

"Yes, Serena?" Amy asked first. She appeared to typing away at a computer while eating an apple.

"We've found the rainbow crystal!" Serena said excitedly.

"Oh, great! I'll be there in a jiffy," Lita said after sending one last karate kick at a defenseless tree. Within seconds, the screen faded into darkness and Serena replaced the communicator inside her backpack. She looked nervously in the distance, "I guess this is it."

The weight of this mission was tangible like a piano on her spine. Raye nodded back, "Let's go."

For the next few minutes, Serena and Raye tried to get close enough to the figures to tell which the actual carrier was. They ducked behind gravestones and trees alike until finally they stood behind a tomb that allowed them a good sight of both the men. One of the men, was a priest, he walked amongst the graves solemnly, gripping the long cross hanging from his neck. The other…

"What the heck is Darien doing here!?" Serena whispered to her raven haired friend. The normally grinning college student was hovering above a wide gravestone that had fresh roses in front. He appeared to be talking to it.

"I don't know," Raye spoke, nearly speechless. Then she gathered a thought, "Well; now we know who the carrier is. The wand didn't respond to Darien earlier at the arcade today." Serena brightened. Then, her face fell again.

"But, how do we get rid of the jerk so we can nab the crystal?" Serena asked, slightly above a whisper. Raye waved a dismissing hand to calm her down, "I've got a plan."

"You transform while I get Darien to leave. I'll be back as soon as I can," Raye said. She started off from behind the tomb in Darien's direction, but before she left cover, Serena grabbed her arm.

"You're leaving me in this cemetery by myself!?" Serena asked frightened.

"Don't worry; the scouts will be here any time. Now, do you want that crystal or not?" Raye added with a bark. Serena nodded and let go of her friend's arm. Nonchalantly, Raye walked towards Darien, who was almost thirty yards away. It was time for her to transform.

"Moon prism power," Serena whispered, hand reaching to the heavens. Pink ribbons flowed around her petite figure until finally her scout uniform materialized. She checked her outfit before peeking around the tomb at the priest. He was not moving; he had stopped by a grave nearby to give a silent prayer.

Next, she checked Raye. The priestess was almost upon Darien when suddenly he clutched at his brain with both hands, saw Raye, and ran off into the distance.

Raye turned around and looked at Serena, with a shrug. Darien was no longer a problem.

She ran behind a tree and reemerged fully transformed. Serena noticed Mercury and Jupiter standing in a tree behind them, also ready in a moment's notice. Serena nodded at each of them and walked from behind the tomb.

The priest, so deep in thought, didn't notice the presence of the scantily clad Sailor Scout until she cleared her throat. When he looked up at her, she struck a pose.

"I am Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice! I am here to collect crystals and spare the world from evil and that means you…even if you don't know it," she yelled. All the scouts sweat dropped while the priest's mouth hung open.

"May I help you?" he asked in a deep, fatherly voice. Serena dropped her pose and put her hand behind her head trying to stifle a nervous giggle.

"Actually, I kinda have to get something from you and it may hurt a little," she said nervously. Then, with conviction, she whipped out her wand and spoke under her breath, "God, I hope this works."

With conviction, Sailor Moon clutched the wand at eye level.

"Moon healing activation!"

As the wand circle her body, a halo of light appeared and engulfed the priest. As it did so, a hole in his stomach faded in and out of sight. The priest held up his arms as if surrendering to the crystal while maintaining a serene look upon his face. Serena sent more strength into the wand, until finally the crystal formed and the priest fell to the grass, unconscious.

Serena sighed and let her knees buckle beneath her. Finally, the last crystal had been found. She looked ahead at the green crystal ten meters away.

"Crap!"

All of a sudden, there was frenzy above her. Birds flocked from their trees as the previously hiding Sailor Scouts leapt down from the trees. Sailor Moon could feel their pounding footsteps as they ran, panting, in her direction. When she looked over her shoulder she saw the cause of their alarm; a red cape flowing over her head.

Just before the Sailor Scouts could reach her side, Tuxedo Mask landed beside the crystal and reached for it. Just as his gloved hands began to close around the crystal, a golden chain shot at the crystal knocking it more than twenty feet away. While everyone paused at the unprecedented power, Sailor Moon rose from the hollow ground and ran in the direction of the crystal. She just had to get it; she had to prove that she was worthy of carrying the wand of the one who would soon protect Princess Serenity.

A figure stood on the grand tomb with her hair flowing in the wind. With the sun behind her, only her silhouette was visible. Sailor Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars all stared at her with their hands shielding their eyes. Tuxedo Mask, though momentarily lost in the figure's spell as well, ran after Sailor Moon upon seeing her rise.

When the figure turned, the scouts too realized that the battle was yet to be won. However, both Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon were already too far away to chase after. They merely watched helplessly as the two faced off. Stride for stride. Breath for breath. It was as if both were a team, fighting together, still subconsciously knowing their only enemy was the other.

Time seemed to stop when the pair was a foot from the crystal. Tuxedo Mask's stride widened dramatically as he swooped down; Serena meanwhile tried to dive at the crystal. Her arms flew out helplessly to grasp the crystal, not caring that her body would soon collide painfully with the ground. When Serena finally reached her destination she cried out in frustration. Her hand was empty, and her side bruised. She peered upwards with a furious grimace as Tuxedo Mask flew away. She expected to see his smug grin; he had won. Instead he looked sternly at her and muttered two words.

"I'm sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

All three of her fellow scouts surrounded Serena as she moped. They sat on the steps of Raye's temple, the nighttime deepening, and overcast expressions etched onto their faces. Meanwhile, Serena looked at the ground with her face buried in her arms. Suddenly, Serena thrust her hand out, and gold and pink flashed.

"Maybe, I just shouldn't be your leader anymore!" She cried, dropping the wand onto the ground in front of her. Immediately, her friends jumped into action.

"No!! We don't want that!" Amy said strongly.

"Amy's right, you're a great leader! You did everything you could," Lita assured her. Even Luna stepped in.

"There was nothing you could have done differently." At the sound of a rustle of skirts, Luna turned her attention away from Serena. Raye, dressed in her traditional robes, stepped closer to Serena and placed a hand on her shoulder. Serena reluctantly looked her in the eyes. They were strong and piercing; Serena braced herself for a lecture about her whininess. Almost out of fear, Serena looked down again. Instead, Raye's face softened when she spoke.

"They're right." Then, Raye bent down and picked up the wand and placed it in Serena's hands.

"We will always be behind you. Besides, who else is gonna lead us to get those crystals back?" she smiled. Serena looked up and smiled. Silently, she thought to herself. She would never let them down again; next time she met Tuxedo Mask, she wouldn't back down.

On the opposite side of town, an ebony haired man sat on the edge of his bed shrouded in darkness. There were only two sets of lights in his room: red numbers flashing from his alarm clock and the rainbow sparkle of three crystals. He looked up at the crystals, the symbols of his victory, and frowned.

"Now what?"

If it had been a good day, Serena would have run into Darien Shields. If it had been a bad day, Serena would have run into Darien Shields. But much to her misfortune, she collided into her six-foot tall nemesis on thoughtful days too.

Just as she had been walking, she collided into a firm chest and fell backwards. She knew who it was at contact, but instead of yelling in anger she sat on the ground mute. Her eyes seemed trained to a bug on the sidewalk, and she waited for him to make a retort and walk away. But instead, his shadow hung over her thicker than the trees scattered throughout the park.

Darien, who had been jogging, never moved from the position where he had crashed with the petite female. He had opened his mouth to speak, but was caught off guard by her expression. While normally fire burned in her eyes, he saw ice. She wasn't the same as she was yesterday afternoon. Then again, neither was he. So he extended a hand.

It took Serena a few moments to realize what was happening. But she let her gaze drift and noticed Darien leaning towards her offering his hand. Before she could become defensive towards his odd behavior he had already lifted her from her uncomfortable position on the ground.

"So…," she uttered. This was completely unusual coming from her nemesis, and frankly she wasn't sure if his kindness was welcome.

"Are you okay?" Darien asked getting right to the point. He empathized with her, though unsure why he cared with his own problems nagging at him. Yet, for this moment, he wanted to forget himself. He wanted to forget his mission and just be…Darien. So when she didn't answer he grabbed her wrist and began jogging with her through the park.

Serena's eyes bugged out when she felt his hand grab her. As if there weren't enough thoughts swirling through her head, she had to worry whether Darien had gone off the deep end. For the time being, all she could do was trail behind him, barely trying to keep up. They ran for several minutes, both too breathless to question anything and finally Darien halted, with Serena nearly crashing into him.

"Where….," she began to ask, heaved over, breathing heavily, "…are you taking me?" Darien chuckled, drawing her attention to their surroundings.

"You mean 'where _are_ we'," he corrected. After a second's observation, though, it was apparent that they stood in a rose garden. Every color of rose stood around them, overpowering them with fragrance. A fragrance resembling a stronger version of Darien's own scent, Serena pondered.

In a sly gesture, Darien picked a white rose and handed it to Serena. Then he put a finger to his lips as if to say 'don't tell anyone'. A second later, he was jogging away leaving Serena stunned.

She carefully held the flower in her hands and watched his form as he ran away. And a thought hit her that caused her to cock her head to the side. Darien looked really….manly when he was exercising. His bangs had been coated with beads of sweat when he handed her the rose and with his sleeves rolled up it was difficult not to notice the size of his muscles. In fact, he was handsome overall.

She took in another whiff of the rose's scent and stored it carefully in her backpack, and then she ran to the temple. It was time to get back to the mission.

Hours elapsed, and darkness coated the sky. Just a sliver of moon was visible outside. It was just this light that shown on Darien when he woke up suddenly from a dream. It had a princess. His princess. But the fog was thicker than before, making it nearly impossible to see her. And her message was different. When she called to him….

With a twinge he realized why he had woken up in the first place. His head pounded as his transformation begged for release. Rather than fight it and suffer, Darien succumbed to the pressure and let the power wash over him. Colors flashed through his room and in moments Tuxedo Mask stood on the balcony. Sailor Moon had transformed, and she did it on purpose.

From building to building he leapt, following the soft tug at his soul. Whether friends or enemies, they were still connected.

It took him some time, but eventually he wound up at the park, the very park where he had seen Serena earlier that day. He shook his head to erase his thoughts and skimmed the park from his perch on a tall elm.

"Tuxedo Mask," Sailor Moon called. Tuxedo Mask soon found her, along with Mercury, Jupiter and Mars, huddled together by the kid's playground. Curious, he swiftly jumped to the ground and walked closer to the group.

"Yes, Sailor Moon," he said, markedly making his voice deep and solemn. His haughtiness only annoyed the warriors. Sailor Moon twitched at his arrogance and let her disgust wave over her.

"I challenge you to a duel," Serena declared.


	3. Chapter 3

Tuxedo Mask chuckled at the young blonde, sending warmth to her cheeks.

"You want to fight _me_?" he repeated incredulously. For added emphasis he pointed at his self. Serena got into a fighting stance.

"Yeah. Just you and me, bucko! For the crystals!" she said heatedly. She was ready to wipe that smirk off his face because if he thought he could beat her so easy, he had another thing coming. She smiled, understanding now how easy it was for Lita to get into fights; all you needed was a little adrenaline to get you going and then you couldn't back down.

"You can't be serious," Tuxedo Mask said, unmoving. He noticed the Sailor Scouts standing behind Sailor Moon cautiously. They looked ready to pounce, but at the same time standoffish. If they were to fight, it'd just be himself and Sailor Moon.

"What are you, afraid?" Sailor Moon chided. It was a cheap shot, but it never failed. She deepened her fighting stance by digging her heels into the dirt.

"Show me what you've got," he replied. He was ready to walk away until she said that. Now he had to shut her up. With that, Sailor Moon charged at the caped man.

Tuxedo Mask blinked, completely unprepared for her quick advance. But though she fast, he was agile enough to barely move left and avoid her. In a moment's time, she was back on him. He hands swung down left and right, hoping to land a blow. In the meantime he dodged swiftly. Sailor Moon cursed under her breath for her weakness, this should've been easy.

Tuxedo Mask himself had been caught off guard. Nowhere in his mind had he considered that Sailor Moon had real training. As he had pictured her, she was a lucky girl who managed to whip out the powerful tools just in time. But this, this hand to hand combat was unprecedented.

For several minutes, Sailor Moon placed her energy into hitting him. She would have even been happy to graze his skin. Left, right, no dice. And for a moment she paused.

"Tired already?" Tuxedo Mask asked with a smug grin. Sailor Moon looked him over. He looked exactly as before: cape resilient, skin flawless, and cocky as ever. To make things worse, she felt her friends' presence behind her; they cheered her on, but their hope waned. Their silence said more than anything. Something had to give.

And so Sailor Moon charged once again, but this time with more intensity than before. In a split second, she had sliced a hand down the side of his face.

Slowly his head tilted to the side, and for a moment Sailor Moon felt she had failed once again. Yet blood trickled down his cheek. Sailor Moon couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. While he stood back in shock she jumped away to face him.

"I was just warming up," she said. Tuxedo Mask's face was priceless. From her vision, she saw a million emotions flash on his face. First disbelief, then hurt, and then anger. In thirty seconds he had fully recovered from the shock and looked at her fuming.

"And I was just toying with you. Try it again," he challenged darkly. The young heroine's skin crawled, and she was ready to strike again.

"Get him, Sailor Moon," she heard Jupiter cry from behind. Sailor Moon briefly looked over her shoulder, nodded, and faced her enemy again. She'd get him this time.

For the third time, she chased her enemy, but this time jumping down upon him. Her hands flew in a million directions causing Tuxedo Mask to amp his awareness. It was becoming difficult for him to keep up with her and soon he had to begin blocking her. Before long fist and hand met, and both were going at it with all their strength.

Suddenly, Sailor Moon leapt down at him once again. This time she could knock him down.

She fell down in his direction but was knocked backwards by a metal object. His cane. She could not believe that Tuxedo Mask played dirty. But then again, they never agreed not to use weapons. Therefore…

She landed to her feet, reached into her subspace pocket, and tossed her wand at him, in anger. Before she could realize her mistake, the wand was already in the air, flying at him. Though, in her poor aim, she had managed to knock off his hat. In a second she judged her next move. With luck she could knock him down and recover her wand safely.

Like, Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask had become preoccupied with the loss of his prized possession. He motioned to grab his hat as it flew away and turned back too late to avoid being pummeled. The petite blonde and just knocked him down using the mere element of surprise. And now she had him pinned. He didn't understand it for sure, but it was apparent that as a super heroine she had more than the strength of an average teenager.

"Give up," Sailor Moon demanded. Tuxedo Mask lay under her, still stunned for the moment at his predicament. How had he gotten here? He looked into the scouts eyes and saw her determination; she would not leave without recovering the crystals. Yet….there was also something else in her eyes. Could it have been reluctance?

After several moments under his spell, Tuxedo Mask recovered his strength and composure and tossed the blonde off him. She rolled several feet away, however, quick to jump to her feet once again.

"Make me," he said dryly. He dusted himself off and turned around prepared to leave. This was getting nowhere fast, and he may end up hurting her soon.

"But I won fair and square!" he heard her fume, "Give me those crystals."

Finally, exasperated with her and the situation, Tuxedo Mask yelled back unrestrained.

"I can't!" Tuxedo Mask said with a sudden passion. He couldn't give them back. But she could never understand that. Instead, of tackling him again as she had planned, Sailor Moon was taken aback.

"And why not?!" she cried with her head solemnly watching the ground. Why couldn't they be friends...

"Because," he began, letting his voice drop, "I need them to find out who I am." He continued walking away from the park, leaving Serena phased. Unlike her though, the scouts were poised to attack. They ran in his direction urgently; he couldn't leave without finishing their match.

And then they were halted by a gloved hand. With confused eyes, Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars each looked at their leader. She wasn't letting them go after him. When they looked up again, Tuxedo Mask had disappeared, and Serena's feet had buckled.

"New plan….," she uttered weakly.

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Read and Review :) I got more coming...


	4. Chapter 4

"So have you thought of what you plan to do next, Serena?" The midnight colored cat sat regally beside her master as Serena devoured her lunch. Crumbs dotted Serena's face and school uniform. One of Lita's famous lunches spread itself out in front of her.

"Mmhmm," Serena said, swallowing her last cookie. Then she wiped her mouth and spoke seriously.

"I only know of one other thing I can do. I'm just not sure how I can…"

Luna opened her mouth to question Serena further, but was interrupted by the sight of a geeky looking young man. His hair flew in all directions and his coke bottle glasses seemed to swirl when you looked at him.

"Hi Serena!!" he enthused. Serena's hairs rose and she sat straight up. It was Melvin, King of Nerds.

"You hear this new buzz?" He asked, preparing to pantomime the latest gossip in front of her. Serena looked at her cat and at Melvin. At Melvin and then her cat.

"Er…no…can't say I have," she uttered awkwardly. If she were dumb academically, he needed to study general social rules; he could make anybody feel uncomfortable with his enthusiasm for the strange.

"Well, sources tell me that a certain caped crusader regularly stands on top of the Juuban district apartments watching the moon. He stays up there between the hours of three and four still as stone." As he told the tale, Melvin stood like an army commander, mimicking what he had seen. When he finished he launched down into a frog-like position to await Serena's response.

Once again, Serena looked at Luna, then Melvin. At Melvin then Luna.

"Batman??" she ventured.

"Not Batman! Only the greatest, most daring superhero of our time. Tuxedo! Mask!!" he announced. He arose once again to mimic the superhero. His arm was held in front of him as if he wore a cape. Had he have been paying attention, he would have seen both Serena and Luna tense. Before Melvin could refocus his attention, Serena had cleaned up her lunch and stood ready to leave.

"Well, thanks for the information, Melvin. Gotta book it! See ya!" Serena said jogging off to an isolated part of the yard. There she could let her mind mull things over. Maybe her plan would work after all.

After all the city's lights had disappeared and children and adults alike had gone to sleep, Serena alone stood awake. That is, unless you counted Darien Shields on the other side of town who forcefully awoke from his sleep in the heat of the night. He had dreamt of a princess….

For the umpteenth night in a row, red numbers beamed at him. It was 2:55 A.M…He sat on the edge of his bed in the lonely apartment. Everything around him wore shades of blue or stainless steel. He couldn't decide which was colder the breeze from outside or the room in which he sat, suffocating. Just as he had done nights before, he stepped onto his balcony. The wind waved past him and in seconds his pajama pants disappeared and he wore his trademark tuxedo. Now, as Tuxedo Mask, he leapt to the roof of his apartment building.

He stood regally and let his mind wander. He thought about his dream for a while, but before long his mind travelled to this afternoon, at the arcade.

"Hiiiii Darien! No book today?" Serena cheerfully asked. The normally astute student sat staring at his drink, with no book in hand and his glasses tucked away. He was lost in the depths of his caramel colored coffee; for some reason he couldn't leave it black today.

It took him a few seconds, but eventually he looked up into the blonde's innocent eyes. She beamed down at him, waiting for a response. Still, half in a trance he looked the blonde over, from her now short-sleeved uniform to her slender but strong arms. His eyes gazed over her blue skirt and down to her elegant legs. They rested on her tiny feet in her school shoes and then Darien quickly raised his head to look into her face again. She now looked at him worried, kind of like a nurse who realizes her patient has a fever. He blushed.

"Oh, hi Serena! How are you?" Darien replied in a meek attempt at regaining conversation. Serena burst into giggles.

"Yes, Darien. Re-enter planet Earth why dontcha?" On some odd impulse she scooted into his booth, but not opposite him. She sat in the space right next to him and laid her head back, eyes closed.

"I'm having an interesting day by the way." She peeked over at Darien who was still red, but focused once again on his coffee. She closed her eyes again, thoroughly amused.

"Why were you so deep in thought when I came over? Is everything fine?" Serena asked out of curiosity. She surprised herself even. Was she starting to…care?

Darien finally got full control of his emotions. Her question was a solemn reminder of what had been festering in his mind all day.

He decided to come out with it, "I have a question." Serena lowered her head and began watching him, waiting. He had her full attention; his tone had changed so she knew something was up.

"How would you feel about accomplishing something at the expense of others? I mean…it seems like if you get what you want, you should be happy with that. But what if you're not?!"

Read and Review so more chapters will come….and sooner….yipes!


	5. Chapter 5

Darien froze after the words flew from him. He did not know what he had intended to say before he posed his question. He did not know why he chose to place such a question on the fourteen year old. And even stranger still, he did not know why he felt that she would be able to help in some way.

Serena took a deep breath, and searched for the most honest reply to Darien's question.

"At the expense of others," she repeated under her breath, "unhappy…" Then, as if a light bulb flashed in her head, she turned towards Darien, ready to give him her response.

"Personally, I'd be unhappy in your situation, too. I think it just means you have a conscience. For argument's sake, it would be like knowing that for every galloon of ice cream I eat, some kid loses a meal. I love ice cream, but I just couldn't eat it in that case. I'd do my best to make sure all parties were satisfied. In time, I'd discover brownies or something and make sure there were more meals for those kids," as silly as her metaphor was, she was completely serious.

Darien still looked slightly perplexed. But as he thought, Serena could see his features lighten. He finally came down from the clouds.

"I think I know what I have to do. Thank you, Serena," he smiled at her, teeth showing and all. And despite the scenario he saw set to take place in the back of his mind, he felt at ease in her presence. He stopped thinking about his problems and focused on…her?

He took a moment to just look at her. Her glowing skin, her flawless meatballs perched upon her long, blonde hair, and her aquamarine eyes. Had her hair been lighter, she would've looked just like his princess.

Meanwhile, Serena was like a curious puppy, watching Darien take her in. She wasn't quite sure what he was looking at and definitely had no idea what he was thinking. What she did know was that he had left her again, and his mind would be gone for a minute or two. So she took her opportunity.

Just as Serena had predicted, in two minute's time, Darien had regained consciousness. He blinked once, then twice. Serena burst into the most obnoxious fit of laughter, drawing the eyes of all the people in the arcade. On his face around his eyes he wore a mask of whipped cream.

"Very handsome," Serena laughed. Darien hurriedly sought out his reflection in the napkin holder. He barely registered what Serena had done while he was busy being a space cadet.

Seeing her time was up, Serena jetted out the arcade doors, using her daily late-for-school dash. She paused to wave, and then ran up the street. Darien only had enough time to get out the booth and watch her get beyond his reach.

Yet as he caught her sight in the sunlight, all thoughts of retaliation fled and he fell to his knees. The sun's rays hit her hair and at that moment, as she stood just outside the arcade, her locks appeared silver, just like the woman in his dreams.

Darien shook himself out of his reverie. His thoughts returned to the present, and the dream he had just woken from, the reason he stood on the roof of his apartment.

He had been dreaming of Serena all this time. Serena was his princess. He didn't understand it, but the facts were laid out for him. And to top it off his latest dream was different from all the others.

Before they had both stood in ruins, fog everywhere. And his princess was in the distance, her white gown blowing in the wind and her voice hollowed.

"Please, find the Silver Imperium Crystal….for us….," her voice had echoed. And that had become his mission. Tonight that changed.

Tonight they stood face-to-face, Serena's eyes staring at him urgently. Armor covered his body, and yet his only thoughts were of protecting her, of holding on to the intimacy that was felt at that moment.

Tonight they spoke in soft tones, as if they were having a conversation. Serena's eyes pleaded with his.

"Sailor Moon must have the crystal. She needs it now." He could not easily hide his frustration. He demanded to know why he worked so hard just to give them away. But he was met with the same urgent eyes.

"Sailor Moon is the key to everything."

So, here Darien was, thinking of two very different women, who were somehow connected to one another. Serena, and Sailor Moon.

All he could do was sigh heavily. Women…

His eyes glazed over as he stared at nothing in the distance. He was like that for fifteen minutes, still thinking. That is, until he felt something barely tugging at his soul. His sight shot down towards the street.

Sailor Moon was on the ground, moving her head left and right. She was searching for something. Tuxedo Mask took his cue and leapt back, into the shadows of his balcony. He watched her from the distance.

Sailor Moon had finally found what she was looking for. The Juuban district apartments. So all that was left was too look up and catch…

"Dagnabit! He's not there!" She was crestfallen, but Melvin's 'sources' were never wrong….So she jumped up to the roof to see for herself.

Nothing. Sailor Moon looked at the moon and sighed. It seemed she was destined to wait another day. Gracefully she leapt down from the rooftop, jumping from balcony railing to balcony railing. She paused on the ground once more before forfeiting.

Sailor Moon ran until she found a discreet place and de-transformed. She didn't want there to be new Sailor Moon sightings as well. Clad in her day clothes, and a pink pea coat, she began her trek home.

Luna strolled right behind her.

"Er, Serena…," Luna stammered. Serena turned around startled. Her voice coming out of the empty, deaf night air seemed out of place.

Luna decided to take matters into her own teeth. She jumped towards Serena's back and when she landed, she held a piece of paper in her mouth.

Serena's eyes widened.

"That's odd. I couldn't have been wearing that all day," Serena said puzzled.

"No, you've only worn it since you came from the rooftop," Luna corrected. Serena kneeled down and took the paper from her teeth to examine it under a nearby streetlight.

_Sailor Moon,_

_I don't enjoy keeping the crystals from you. In fact, I think it will be better for both of us, if I place them in your custody. Someway, somehow, I'll turn them to you by the full moon._

_Tuxedo Mask_

Serena's jaw dropped upon reading the letter. Just like that, he was giving them to her? And he must have been there somewhere to tape that to her back? But the even bigger question she had was, why the change of heart?

She and Luna exchanged glances before finishing their walk home in silence.

Back in his apartment, Darien stared out his window.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing, my princess."


End file.
